MatesMonitor

Researcher

Associate Professor Allison Milner

Project Details

In Australia and internationally, construction workers have elevated rates of suicide compared to other occupations. Mates In Construction (MIC) is an industry-wide suicide prevention program developed to address this problem. In this project, we seek to implement and evaluate a program that will work alongside and enhance Mates in Construction.

The MatesMonitor program has been developed by a range of partner organisations and researchers listed below. It will be implemented via smartphone and contribute to suicide prevention efforts in the sector by providing suicide prevention literacy and ongoing social support. The evaluation will take the form of a randomised controlled trial. We will compare face-to-face MIC training (treatment as usual) with face-to-face MIC training plus MatesMonitor (treatment as usual plus) to assess changes in retention of suicide prevention knowledge and sense of social support, and lower levels of suicide ideation, attempts, and psychological distress.

MateMonitor will potentially be adapted to other blue collar male-dominated occupations at elevated risk of suicide, augmenting current strategies to address the high burden of suicide.

Researchers

Associate Professor Allison Milner, University of MelbourneProfessor Anthony LaMontagne, Deakin UniversityProfessor Brian Kelly, University of NewcastleDr Philip Batterham, Australian National UniversityProfessor Helen Lingard, Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyAssociate Professor Samuel Harvey, University of New South WalesDr Tania King, University of Melbourne

Collaborators

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project (APP1132588)

The program of work on Mental Health is funded through grants including an National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Grant, a National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship and a Victorian State Government Science and Medical Research Fellowship.

Milner A (in press) Suicide Prevalence and Suicide Prevention in the Workplace, In Violence and abuse in the workplace (Eds: Cooper C, Burke R). UK: Gower.

Milner A, Kavanagh A, King T & Currier D. The influence of masculine norms and occupational factors on mental health: Evidence from the baseline of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health. American Journal of Men’s Health 2018 January 12 (1). 10.1177/1557988317752607